Leeds Festival: Milk Teeth, Waterparks and all the lesser-known artists not to miss

Charlotte Lascelles

This year's Leeds Festival may have a stellar line-up of artists, but among the big names like Kings of Leon and Kendrick Lamar are a whole host of lesser-known artists.

If you're keen to branch out and discover new music, here's a guide to some of the best, lesser-known underground bands on the bill that you won't want to miss.

Horror punk band Creeper have received commercial and critical success in their four-year-long career

Milk Teeth

When: The Pit / Lock Up Stage, 4:35pm on Friday

A DIY punk band from Gloucestershire who built up their own fan base through hard work, constant touring and recording multiple releases including 2017’s EP Be Nice and 2016’s debut album Vile Child.

As result they have been signed to Roadrunner (Slipknot and Stone Sour), toured with the likes of Frank Iero and Good Charlotte, and have been booked at multiple festivals like Slam Dunk and Download.

Pop-punk band Trash Boat have been noted as being more heavier and grittier than their peers

Their sound has elements of grunge, punk and alt-rock whilst also not being afraid to dabble in pop, this band is only going to get bigger and better and this could potentially be the last time we see them perform at a small stage at Leeds Festival.

Waterparks

When: Main Stage, 1:25pm on Saturday

A pop-punk band that went from going nowhere to achieving massive success after the Madden brothers (Good Charlotte) picked them and signed them to their management and record label.

Pale Waves already have widespread acclaim, despite only releasing their debut single last year

Within a short period of time they were touring with the likes of Good Charlotte, All Time Low and Sleeping With Sirens, making appearances at Slam Dunk and Warped tour and were winning major awards in the rock music scene.

Their music is unconventional as it is interesting where they sample elements of EDM and dubstep into their music and are not afraid to be labelled as ‘pop’.

Given the success of their sophomore album Entertainment and tour to promote it, their performance on the Main Stage is surely going to be incredible.

A pop-rock band from Australia who were personally invited by John Feldmann (Goldfinger) to record and produce their debut record.

They released their debut single Saints Of The Sinners, co-written with Pete Wentz (Fall Out Boy, more on them later) which premiered on the Radio 1 Rock Show with Daniel P Carter.

This year saw them tour with Lower Than Atlantis across the UK and make festival appearances at Slam Dunk and Download.

Creeper

When: Main Stage, 2:25pm on Saturday

The band that is bringing horror punk back.

The Southampton six-piece has received commercial and critical success in their four-year-long career.

Compared to the likes of My Chemical Romance, Alkaline Trio and AFI, the band have been praised for their ambitious sound and when they rose to prominence in 2016 they were anticipated as one of the UK’s most exciting new rock bands.

They most certainly didn’t disappoint with 2017’s debut album Eternity, In Your Arms, which came as an enigma when they ‘disappeared’ from social media and left behind a missing persons case when they promoted and announced the album in late 2016.

Trophy Eyes

When: The Pit / Lock Up Stage, 4:50pm on Saturday

An Australian punk band that are not afraid to mix it up and include elements of different genres, and no, they don’t care what you think.

Signed to Hopeless Records (Neck Deep, The Wonder Years) just five months after releasing their first EP Everything Goes Away in 2014 they have gone on to release three successful records and have been praised for their blend of aggressive pop-punk and melodic hardcore sound.

Trash Boat

When: Main Stage, 12pm on Sunday

Starting out as an independent band in 2014 who self-recorded and released their debut EP Look Alive in 2014 and within a year went on to sign at Hopeless Records.

They have since gone on to release two albums, been on tour with pop-punk legends New Found Glory and hardcore band Beartooth, and have made appearances at Warped Tour and Download.

Whilst typically categorised as a pop-punk band they have been noted as being more heavier and grittier than their peers as they take influence from the likes of Blink 182, The Sex Pistols and Rise Against.

MAN WITH A MISSION

When: The Pit / Lock Up Stage, 2:10pm on Sunday

Japan never fails to deliver on unique music artists whether it’s J-Pop or rock bands like One Ok Rock or Babymetal, but this group certainly stands out.

Meet MAN WITH A MISSION, a wolf-human hybrid group...no we’re not kidding. Considered celebrities in their own homeland with countless sold-out shows, MAN WITH A MISSION are famous for their wolf masks and are never seen without them, not even people from their own entourage know what they really look like.

Their sound is a blend of hard-rock and dance pop, with a Nirvana cover thrown into their set.

Sounds bizarre and wacky? Good, go and check them out.

I Don’t Know How But They Found Me

When: The Pit / Lock Up Stage, 2:55pm on Sunday

Created by Dallon Weekes (ex-Panic! At The Disco) the duo was created over a year ago when Weekes began recording his own material and got the name from Back To The Future, a name, according to Weekes, implies a greater story. In the past year they have been building up their own fan base through pop-up shows around the west coast of the USA which were an immediate success.

Their sound is described as having the vibe of Twenty One Pilots whilst also having the rock sound The Beatles would have if they were formed in modern time.

Pale Waves

When: Festival Republic Stage, 5pm on Sunday

The goth-pop band that has been taking over the airwaves with a little help from The 1975.

They only released their debut single There’s A Honey last year and almost immediately it garnered widespread acclaim.

Only a few months later they opened for The 1975 at Madison Square Garden and would later go on to have their own North American tour as well as their own UK tour.

They consider The Cure, The Cranberries and Prince to be their main influences.

Beartooth

When: The Pit / Lock Up Stage, 8:55pm on Sunday

Originally a side project for Caleb Shomo while he was still a part of metalcore band Attack Attack! but once they disbanded in 2013 it became a more serious thing.

Within a year Beartooth went to release their debut album Disgusting to great success with their follow-up Aggressive achieving equal amount of success and acclaim.

Now fresh off Warped Tour they are now in direct support for The Pit’s headliners Papa Roach and if one thing is for certain, their set is going to be loud and be anything but calm.